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TIES (The Immigrant Education Society) is urging people to “carefully consider” all the possible ramifications when they vote on the immigration questions in the upcoming Alberta Referendum.
“The impact could be huge,” TIES President & CEO Sally Zhao says. “And I think the impact will be on every one of us.”
Zhao says voting “yes” may not only affect services like education and healthcare for newcomers, but it could also affect Alberta’s economic health. She adds Alberta may not be perceived as “attractive” to live and work.
“Any policy shift that changes labour supply could have significant consequences for the workforce availability, wage pressures, and for business expansion,” she adds.
“This could have serious economic ramifications.”
Immigration questions make up half of the 10 questions on the referendum ballot.
They include whether Alberta should take increased control of immigration, as well as give “Albertans” priority when it comes to employment.
Albertans are also asked if provincially funded programs such as healthcare, education, and social services should be cut for certain immigrants. If not totally eliminated, Albertans are being asked if newcomers should wait at least 12 months or pay a fee for service.
Zhao who immigrated to Canada herself, says voting yes to any of the five immigration is simply unfair to those who’ve chosen to call Alberta home.
“We have invited them here,” she says. “If they can’t access some of the services, how can they give back?”
“It’s like inviting someone to dinner at your house and then saying, ‘Sorry, you can’t eat with the rest of us.’”
The questions themselves are lengthy and comprise of several sentences.
Zhao worries that many people, even those with a good grasp of the English language, will not understand the wording.
“The questions were worded in a very complex and complicated way,” Zhao points out. “We feel in general; the questions may be very misleading.”
TIES Centre for Immigrant Research (TCIR) also has concerns.
Hamed Kazemzadeh, an associate researcher with TCIR, did a deep dive into the wording of the questions. He adds certain terms may not be clearly defined or quantified.
Some examples: how much control is ‘increased control’? What would be considered ‘sustainable levels’ of immigration? Would immigrants who are permanent residents or Canadian citizens be included in the definition of ‘Albertans’?
“That lack of clarity, combined with the multi-barrelled nature of the question, could be consequential for voters,” Kazemzadeh says.
“They cannot understand very well what they are being asked to vote (for) or to support.”
Kazemzadeh also points out many of the points raised in the questions are irrelevant. Albertans are being asked if newcomers should have to wait for certain supports and wait until they are citizens to be able to vote. Kazemzadeh says those wait times are already in place in many cases.
TIES has been very engaged in getting the facts out to the public ahead of the provincial referendum.
Zhao and several members of the TIES team have attended forums hosted by church and civic groups; including Parkdale United Church, the Women’s Centre of Calgary, and Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church.
TIES has used the knowledge gained from those events to educate both staff and clients.
The nonprofit has also spoken out in several media interviews urging people to vote wisely and really read what the questions are asking.
Zhao also has a message for the province regardless of the outcome of the vote.
“Please rethink this. Think about how everyone can work together for a stronger Alberta. For a stronger Canada. We are all human beings. We are all here to build this province and country together.”
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Advance voting for Alberta Referendum 2026 started on Oct. 13th and will go until Oct. 17th.
If people cannot vote in the advance polls they can vote on Oct. 19th.
Ballot Question 1: Do you support the Government ofAlberta taking increased control over immigration for the purposes of decreasing immigration to more sustainable levels, prioritizing economic migration and giving Albertans first priority on new employment opportunities?
Ballot Question 2: Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law mandating that only Canadian citizens, permanent residents and individuals with an Alberta-approved immigration status will be eligible for provincially-funded programs, such as health care, education and other social services?
Ballot Question 3: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for social support programs as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring all individuals with a non-permanent legal immigration status to reside in Alberta for at least 12 months before qualifying for any provincially-funded social support programs?
Ballot Question 4: Assuming that all Canadian citizens and permanent residents continue to qualify for public health care and education as they do now, do you support the Government of Alberta charging a reasonable fee or premium to individuals with a non-permanent immigration status living in Alberta for their and their family’s use of the health care and education systems?
Ballot Question 5: Do you support the Government of Alberta introducing a law requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate or citizenship card, to vote in an Alberta provincial election?
Additional information:
https://calgaryherald.com/news/alberta-referendum-questions-need-to-know
https://www.ctvnews.ca/calgary/article/new-albertans-need-more-supports-not-less-advocates-say/
Media RSVP, Interviews & Inquiries:
Tomasia DaSilva
Media and Relationship Strategist
Email: tomasiadasilva@immigrant-education.ca
Phone: 403-291-0002
Get involved with TIES on our social media platforms.
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